Your Questions About Weight Loss Pills For Teens

by Maricela on March 17, 2013

Maria asks…

How can i lose weight after my holidays?

So basically on holidays i get lots of treats and get to relax for a week but when i come back i’d like to lose weight since i’m an overweight teen with not much friends it brings me down alot and i’m wondering if anyone has some good top tips and what i should be eating with some good plans and workouts it would mean alot and i’ll be giving 10 points for best answer xxx

NOTE:i am a teen and i’m not going to take stupid acai or whatever pills you’d like to advertise!

Maricela answers:

Weight loss is an overall process and there are no magic answers. Pay no attention to weight loss supplements and pills and all the latest fads. You need to think about many factors but most of them are related to issues we’ve known about for a very long time. There are many sensible things you can do that will make a tremendous difference over the long term if you need to lose weight. It can be done in a healthy way. This is what has worked for me.

Keeping a food journal really does help. It will give you a much better sense of how much you are eating, and when, and why.

Make a few additional small changes – walk everywhere, always use stairs instead of elevators, walk on escalators, get up and move around at least once an hour if your work or your life in general is sedentary, walk every day, use a pedometer. Walking 10,000 steps a day is a really good idea. Build up to a long brisk walk everyday, or most days. Be more active and watch less TV and spend less time on the computer. Buy one piece of exercise equipment to have at home and be strict with yourself about using it. Sometimes you can find mini-steppers or exercise bikes at second hand stores and thrift stores for just a few dollars.

Start a weight lifting routine. Join a gym. Possibly you can find one that has someone who specializes in weight lifting programs for beginners. Weight lifting will increase your metabolism as well as improve posture and appearance overall. Even if you can’t get to the gym you can work out at home using things around the house. Invest in a good weight training book. The Dummies series actually has a good one.

Make your portion sizes smaller. Use a smaller plate – in our society we have become accustomed to thinking that we need a large plate of food at every meal, and we don’t. About quarter of your plate of food should be protein and at least half of it should be veggies.

Learn to count calories. At your current weight and activity level, you may possibly need about 2000 calories or more to maintain your current weight. So you will lose weight at a reasonable and healthy rate if you cut back to about 1600 or 1700 calories a day.

Eat small amounts frequently, rather than three large meals. Never skip breakfast. Include some protein in your breakfast. It will help get you through the day.

Drink plenty of water, at least 8 big glasses of water a day, and more if it is very hot, if you sweat a lot, or if you are exercising intensely, and eliminate fruit juices. Fruit juices have too many calories, so get your vitamins from fresh fruit, not the juice. You will begin to see changes in your body.

Vary your routines. Don’t eat the same number of calories every day (vary your calories from 1400 a day to 1900 or 2000 some days), eat a variety of foods, and do different kinds and amounts of exercise. You will lose weight much more efficiently if you mix things up from time to time so that your body doesn’t adjust to any one routine.

An area that many people overlook is getting enough sleep. You are much more likely to overeat or to binge eat if you are tired and not well rested, so get enough sleep.

Check out websites about nutrition, exercise, weight training, etc.

Charles asks…

How much weight can a teen lose in 9 days?

I’m just curious to how much weight I could lose in 9 days, and what I’d have to do in order to lose that much weight. I’m 15, about 5’4 and I weight 150 pounds. Thanks for any info 🙂

Maricela answers:

You could probably lose about 3 pounds in 9 days. Weight loss is an overall process and there are no magic answers. Pay no attention to weight loss supplements and pills and all the latest fads. You need to think about many factors but most of them are related to issues we’ve known about for a very long time. There are many sensible things you can do that will make a tremendous difference over the long term if you need to lose weight. It can be done in a healthy way. This is what has worked for me.

Keeping a food journal really does help. It will give you a much better sense of how much you are eating, and when, and why.

Make a few additional small changes – walk everywhere, always use stairs instead of elevators, walk on escalators, get up and move around at least once an hour if your work or your life in general is sedentary, walk every day, use a pedometer. Walking 10,000 steps a day is a really good idea. Build up to a long brisk walk everyday, or most days. Be more active and watch less TV and spend less time on the computer. Buy one piece of exercise equipment to have at home and be strict with yourself about using it. Sometimes you can find mini-steppers or exercise bikes at second hand stores and thrift stores for just a few dollars.

Start a weight lifting routine. Join a gym. Possibly you can find one that has someone who specializes in weight lifting programs for beginners. Weight lifting will increase your metabolism as well as improve posture and appearance overall. Even if you can’t get to the gym you can work out at home using things around the house. Invest in a good weight training book. The Dummies series actually has a good one.

Make your portion sizes smaller. Use a smaller plate – in our society we have become accustomed to thinking that we need a large plate of food at every meal, and we don’t. About quarter of your plate of food should be protein and at least half of it should be veggies.

Learn to count calories. At your current weight and activity level, you may possibly need about 2000 calories or more to maintain your current weight. So you will lose weight at a reasonable and healthy rate if you cut back to about 1600 or 1700 calories a day.

Eat small amounts frequently, rather than three large meals. Never skip breakfast. Include some protein in your breakfast. It will help get you through the day.

Drink plenty of water, at least 8 big glasses of water a day, and more if it is very hot, if you sweat a lot, or if you are exercising intensely, and eliminate fruit juices. Fruit juices have too many calories, so get your vitamins from fresh fruit, not the juice. You will begin to see changes in your body.

Vary your routines. Don’t eat the same number of calories every day (vary your calories from 1400 a day to 1900 or 2000 some days), eat a variety of foods, and do different kinds and amounts of exercise. You will lose weight much more efficiently if you mix things up from time to time so that your body doesn’t adjust to any one routine.

An area that many people overlook is getting enough sleep. You are much more likely to overeat or to binge eat if you are tired and not well rested, so get enough sleep.

Check out websites about nutrition, exercise, weight training, etc.

Linda asks…

im 13 and i want to take weight loss pills.bad or okay?

im very athletic and i am 5’4 and i weight is about 143 pounds but im not fat and i dont look like it at all… i just need to shead a few pounds like 25 or 30. i have been trying to lose it, i have been going to the gym and nothing seems to get rid of the pounds.. is taking a weightloss pill going to help? is it going to hurt me? im a 13 year old girl… i should not weigh 143 LBS,, help?

Maricela answers:

No way diet pills or a weight loss pills gonna help you lose weight.

They’re mostly appetite suppressants and the minute you stop taking them, you pile on the lbs like crazy.

Besides, they’ve tons of side effects.

What exercises have you been doing at the gym?

To lose weight, cardio exercises such as running, walking, biking, dancing, swimming (and more) that speed up your metabolism so you’ve higher metabolic rate to burn off excess fat from your entire body, is a must.

Here’s a guide for you on diet: http://www.perfect-body-toning.com/teen-diets.html

Laura asks…

What do i do to lost my weight without cutting my favourite meals ?

I want to lose my weight from 60kg to 50kg. how will i do it without cutting my favourite meals and doing exercises

Maricela answers:

The following healthy living recommendations will help you if you’re trying to lose weight, tone up your muscles, have aspirations of building lean muscle mass, are attempting to get a wash board stomach, or just want to feel better:

*1) Burn more calories then you’re consuming everyday and measure your results using the following formula: Calories Consumed minus Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) minus Physical Activity minus the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF). A website that explains this formula in more detail and will help you determine how many calories you need to reach or maintain a certain weight is at http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/weight/calsburned.htm

Get an online, desktop, or cell phone diet and fitness calculator. This will allow you to easily calculate the above formula, set goals, log your daily calorie consumption, and register your physical activities.

Set realistic goals for your ideal body weight. Here are two websites that will calculate a suggested body weight:
Adults: http://www.halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm
Teens/Children: http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/exercise/weight/bmi.html

It is difficult and unhealthy to lose more than one or two pounds per week. There are 3,500 calories in a pound. If you eat 500 fewer calories per day for a week you will lose one pound. If you burn through exercise 500 more calories per day for a week you will lose one pound.

Here are two articles on how to break through a weight loss plateau:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/86/99147.htm
http://www.webmd.com/content/pages/18/102117.htm

*2) Eat natural and organic foods found on earth versus something created by a corporation to make money. Eat meals in small portions throughout the day and take a good multi-vitamin supplement.

Do not try fad diets or diet pills. Avoid “High Glycemic Load Carbs” (sugar, pastries, desserts, refined starches such as breads, pasta, refined grains like white rice; high starch vegetables such as potatoes) and drink lots of water. Read this article for more information on high GL Carbs:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates.html

The following are food pyramids and several articles on what you should eat everyday:
Food Pyramids:
http://www.rayandterry.com/html/images/PyramidLRG.gif?osCsid=26a424be471d1337e7c2f105d5c64d9d
http://www.mypyramid.gov/
Antioxidant Superstars – Vegetables and Beans:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/104/107638.html
Antioxidant Loaded Fruits:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/104/107640.html
Good Carbs Mean Better Weight:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/100/105783.htm
The Benefits of Protein:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/85/98824.htm
Some Fats Are Good For You:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/49/40075.htm
Antioxidants in Green and Black Tea:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/104/107641.html
What You Should Eat Daily:
http://www.oprah.com/health/yourbody/slide/slide_yourbody_healthfood_201.jhtml
Best Foods to Fight off Disease and Keep You Healthy:
http://www.oprah.com/health/yourbody/slide/slide_yourbody_healthfood_101.jhtml

*3) Perform cardiovascular, core, and/or strength training on most days. Read a book or find a certified trainer to make sure you’re doing all exercises correctly.

*4) Get plenty of sleep. Sleep experts say most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night for optimum performance, health, and safety.

*5) Educate yourself continually on health issues and make a life long commitment to good health. A great free publication is “Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005”. A reputable test you can take to measure your biological age is at http://realage.com
Look at all areas where you can enhance your health. For example, make improvements in the quality of the air you breathe. Review outdoor air quality forecasts where you live and get an indoor air purifier.

Send me an email or yahoo instant message to “gainbetterhealth” if you have any questions and good luck!

*Click on all the source links below to get the full benefit of the recommendations. The answers presented to your health questions are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Susan asks…

How much weight can I gain by working out?

So I’ve started working out and I’m skinny. If I work out for a month lifting weights ab exercises and upper body workouts how much weight could I gain???

Maricela answers:

Probably not much.

If you’re an ectomorph (very thin/skinny) or near ectomorph you will have difficulty gaining weight because of your somatype, not because of metabolism. So, if you wan to change that and add some pounds there are two ways to do it. Both may work and neither may work. Your success is going to ultimately depend on your body chemistry which is inherited (genetic).

FAT
You can try adding fat by eating more food. You should eat a proper diet which is about 50/20/30 (%calories from carbs/fats/protein respectively) and just consume more food. You should NOT eat junk food, increase your carbs, take supplements, consume more fat, etc. Just eat a proper, well balanced diet in increase the portions (serving sizes). If you are able to add body fat, you will have no control over where the fat goes or how it looks. In other words, the result could be “skinny fat” which is probably less appealing aesthetically than skinny. And, of course, if you don’t like the fat, you’ll just have to lose it to get back to where you were.

Adding muscle is a very slow and difficult process. Watch this video for more about that —> http://www.youtube.com/user/scooby1961#p/search/0/Xcuhi6RaZ24 . On average males can add no more than about a pound of muscle per month and females can add about 20% less and that is only under ideal circumstances which are rare. However, if you’re a teen, you may find adding muscle to be almost impossible because you will not have your lifetime maximum of testosterone (the muscle building hormone) until about your mid20s.

Adding muscle means very intense (and painful) training for a few hours per week and usually requires a gym or gym facilities. It also requires some understanding of how to train (exercise physiology, kinesiology, muscle anatomy, etc) which usually means some time spent with a personal trainer. Adding muscle is a difficult and long term process and, once the muscle is added, the training must continue to maintain the muscle.

Ectomorphism is as unhappy an occurrence because being very thin can effect self esteem and inhibit social interaction. However, the ectomorph will usually, in adult life, find it easier to achieve and maintain an ideal or close to ideal body weight because people naturally tend to grow fatter and/or more robust as they grow older….especially with proper diet and training.

Note – Do not use pills, tonics, supplements, shakes, or other products which claim they can help increase body weight without first checking with your doctor. The scammers are very much aware of the plight of the ectomorph and there are scores or companies with products and advertising all designed to capitalize on your misfortune for their profit. Don’t be a sucker.

So, they may not be ideal. But those are your two options. Fat and/or muscle.